The sunset at the brick factory dyed the tops of the kilns the color of honey. Cheng Erhua and Liu Erzhu were teasing Wang Jianguo when a sudden, urgent ringing of a bell approached from afar.
The three turned to look and saw Hé Yǔshuǐ pedaling a worn-out old bicycle, bumping along the ruts of the dirt road. Stray locks of hair were plastered to her cheeks by sweat, and a large patch of dampness had soaked through the back of her blue cloth shirt. Yet, she straightened her back, struggling to maintain her balance. Mud splashed by the tires as they crushed the gravel, blooming into dark flowers against her trouser cuffs.
The bicycle braked sharply beside a stack of bricks. Hé Yǔshuǐ gripped the handlebars, panting heavily, her chest heaving.
Chapter 695